The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-12-29
THE INTERNAL REVENUE E.
How and What Notifications to the Sys.
tenn Can be Obtained.

Fab. H Busbee in Statesvile Landmark
\ large majority of the people of North
Carolina desire the absolute repeal of all
national excise laws; they want to see the
internal revenue system cut up by the
roots At the same time almost all of US
have discernment enough to realize that
in the present temper of the people of the
United States this is out of the question.
Advocates of a total repeal may be found
IN both parties, but they are fer the pres
ent III a hopeless minority, in the country
at large. If for no other reason, the Repub-
lican dread Of its prohibition wing would
efTectually prevent it from favorlng the
repeal of the tax on whiskey; and the
desire among Democrats to make reduction
in the tariff. so imperatively demanded by
the business interests Of the country, will
cause the tax on wh>key TO be retained.
Can anything, then, be done to relieve US
from the evils which seem to be insepara-
bic from the execution of the internal
revenue laws Much In the first place,
the tax on tobacco can be absolutely re
pealed Tobacco to its millions Of con
sumers is not a luxury; It is one of the
prime necessities of life 1t is the COM
panion Of the solitary, the refuge Of the
weary the s0lace Of the aged. | am glad
| don't use it, but with all its attendant
evils it is to those who do rs much a ne
| cessity as tea or coffee or sugar.
The removal of the tax will have the
effect Of increasing the profits of the to-
bacco raiser, and reducing the price to
1 the consumer. 1t will also enable our
I plug manufacturers to stand some chance
! of successful competition with the great
! New York and st. Louis houses that are
threatening their very existence. 1t is to
be feared that the repeal may not prove
| so advantageous to the smoking tobacco
manufacturers, but this fear, l trust, is
not we'll grounded.
Secondly, the tax on fruit brandy can
be reduced, though not repealed. Thor
ough supervision will be necessary to pre-
vent the fraudulent use of grain. Stringent
an useful legislation upon the details
will ue indispensable; the time of distilla
ton limited to the last four or five months
of the year, the capacity of the still
graded TO the probable source of supply
and numerous other safeguards provided
But with proper restrictions, while the
orchards and vineyards that can be profit
ably devoted to making brandy are 81
limited in extent, there can be no Yer,
large diminution of the revenue received
from whiskey by reducing the tax OF
brandy.
Thirdly, some of the oppressive feature
of the internal revenue laws can be rene
died The minimum punishment ought t.
be left to the discretion of the judge pre-
siding, and he should not be compelled t
, sentence every man to at least sixty day
, imprisonment, thirty of which are t
qualify the prisoner to take the oath of al
< insolvent The law permitting an lndis
criminate destruction Of personal propert
, seized by revenue officers might well be S
2 modified as to require the order of
: judicial officer or some Judgment of cor
demnation.
/ And, fourthly, the greatest of all re
5 forms in this direction ought to lie With
| the easy reach of combined effort upon tn
part of the North Carolina delegation